The present invention generally relates to aircraft taxiing and, in particular, to a taxiing system to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of aircraft on the ground.
Taxiing is the movement of an aircraft on the ground from the gate to the runway prior to takeoff and from the runway to the gate after landing. The taxi-out phase of an aircraft accounts for a significant percentage of the total fuel burned from the origination gate to the destination gate. In addition, the more turns or stops an aircraft makes during taxiing, the more fuel is burned.
Runway incursions account for a large number of airport accidents. During taxi-out, the pilot may be distracted by pre-takeoff activities and may not be fully focused on guiding the aircraft to the runway. Weather-related issues, such as excessive speed on snow or ice or in poor visibility, may be a factor in accidents, as well. Other accidents may be the result of collisions with other taxiing aircraft or ground vehicles. In addition, the pilot relies on air traffic control to know the status and location of other aircraft, ground vehicles, and other obstacles on and near runways and taxiways.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has addressed the issue of runway incursion in such documents as the Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) 11004, dated Jun. 10, 2011. As can be seen, however, the implementation of more extensive solutions may further improve aircraft taxiing safety.